INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE

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"I am very impressed, Jacob... Leah too. Very impressed with the clues you left us-bank transactions and the such. Ingenuity" Alice smiled a little, her arms folded over each other. She was tucked under Jasper's arm, the tall blonde vampire's face hard and impassive. She knew she was the only one capable of talk talking after what they had just heard about the rest of their family.

She was the only one who could tackle her emotions and deal with things without the easy choice of violence and revenge. After all, even though her gift was limited thanks to the introduction of other creatures connected to her future-she had learnt an art in forewarning, thanks to it.

"I would like you to meet the Grangers" Jacob led Alice into the lounge, the other vampires following her silently. "They have been assisting us... with the human side of things. We can't exactly go prancing into towns... and mind, they have done so on their own free will"

"So they know you are all prone to having tails?" Alice asked and Jacob nodded.

The lounge was nothing impressive; decor simple and homely and the colours warm and orange. It was the group huddled in there that immediately shocked the eye into taking a second closer look; a series of tall muscled tanned individuals and the thin huddled forms of Dominic and Katherine. On one lone ancient couch sat two elderly individuals, cuddled and at ease with a fire crackling in the fireplace, near their feet.

"They have been waiting for you for a while?" the elderly woman smiled, her eyes widening at the paleness of her guests... and the beauty of them all. "My name is Lynn, this is my husband Rupert"

"Pleased to meet you, Lynn" Alice smiled beautifully before pointing each one of her siblings out-for Alice knew what vampire anger and fear was, and that was what had rippled through Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie. They were on autopilot...

"This beauty here is my sister Rose" Alice touched Rosalie's arm but Rose gave no response, her eyes staring unseeingly at a wall and lips twitching occasionally. "This is her husband Emmett and this tall one in over protective mode is my own husband, Jasper"

"My, look how beautiful they are!" Lynn touched her dozing husbands shoulder and he started, blinking rapidly "Rupert... look?"

Rupert grumbled slightly, busying himself with finding his thick glasses and when he had put them on and looked at what his dear wife was excited over, he too gasped. Four angels stood in their living rooms with sadness etched in their pale velvety features.

"Oh my" Rupert breathed.

"My sentiments exactly!" Lynn laughed "Well, do take a seat... err, Bradley and Billy if you don't mind joining Seth by the hearth so our guest could take a seat?"

"We don't need to sit" Rosalie's voice came out sharp; her features seemed thrilled into focus and eyes narrowed. "You know they are wolves..." Rosalie pointed at the pack and the couple nodded. "Well, we are vampires"

"Rosalie that is unnecessary!" Alice hissed. "You are frightening them!"

"I think everyone we come in contact with and those that wish to help us should be given a fair warning..." Rosalie raised a perfect eyebrow before returning her gaze to Lynn and Rupert "We are vampires" she said "We do not need to sit, lie down or even move. We don't eat and we don't sleep. We don't age and we are eternally beautiful... that is, what we are. That is what you have invited into your homes"

"Well, aren't vampires supposed to drink blood?" Rupert asked.

"Yes, they are" Alice said softly, almost apologetically "And we do. We do drink blood, Rupert just... not human blood so you don't have to worry"

"But caution, is a must" Rosalie added, turning around. She stood still for a moment before saying with increasing speed and volume, which left Rupert and Lynn dizzy "I need some air. I apologize; my conduct and decorum has left me and I know with what is going on outbursts and time to grieve has turned into a luxury so suddenly what with Charles and Nessie... Edward...oh, Carlisle and Esme... oh, my poor Esme...!"

The wolves cringed away from the volume of Rosalie's brief wail, while the two human's and unturned werewolves wore masks of disorientation and distress.

She was gone before Rupert and Lynn could understand or comprehend that the Rosalie had not vanished or turned invisible but ran out at such a pace as they had never seen. Emmett closed his eyes, his expression grave and said clearly and with such anger and violence that his voice boomed in the little lounge "There will be hell to pay... Nahuel and Joham... every single one of them... will burn to ashes"

"We can't be sure" Alice whispered quickly "There were werewolves involved. Joham did not have werewolves when you freed Nessie from South America!"

"What would stop him from acquiring some?!" Emmett demanded "Venom will spill for my mother's death"
"Our mother, Emmett!" Alice insisted "Ours! Oh, poor Carlisle...!"

"Carlisle..." Jasper managed, before shaking his head once and groaning "Brother, Emmett... I agree. There will be venom and we shall bring hell"

Alice panicked, this was what she had feared since the words had fell from Jacob's lips in stammers and stutters, the youth brought about through his amnesia shining in his awkward recall of the desolate incident, shining in the tears that had welled up in his eyes and that he had violently wiped away... while Leah had looked on grave and silent. This was what Alice Cullen had feared would be awoken in Emmett and Jasper; revenge. It was justifiable, good heavens, it was what was in her heart... but although her gift had reached so many blockages of late... she had learnt to manoeuvre around it; and what she had deduced was that revenge could only come third. They needed to find the rest of their family first, urgently and secondly...

"Carlisle..." Alice whispered "He will turn to the worst... to the most hidden part of his clean soul, the part that would recognise revenge and hate and would embrace it willingly and with no qualms or remorse. He will turn to darkness and it would be ageless and insatiable"

"And if he is lost in that darkness..." Emmett growled "That is where we will toss them all, so Carlisle can exact his revenge too"

The vampires were watched by the wolves in fear. The smooth melody of their preternatural voices had become devoid of velvet and instead there was lava lacing each word and the violence flashing over the eyes of the two males made the wolves think that these vampires could take on anything- with nothing but their rage and misery settled in the cavity of their hearts.

And for Jacob, he resolved that he would stand by them in such a war for he knew the importance of a mother in a life-be it supernatural or otherwise.

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"There is one little thing that I would like for you to help me with, Carlisle..." Lorraine sat with her legs crossed at the other side of the glass, her eyes firmly set to stare in fake interest inside her bag while she pretended to search for the file. "I know it is a very sensitive topic... as a... father, and I can't believe they have asked me to ask you this!?"

She paused to smile apologetically at him, and the brief glance she made on the vampires face caused her eyes to widen automatically and with no permission from her mind; she didn't know what she had expected Carlisle to be doing; possibly sitting in his seat tapping his fingers impatiently or pacing at the other side of his new cage. She was aware that these were all human expectations of a vampire... but to have him standing right by the glass with one ashen hand firmly placed over the glass's surface and a look of excited madness dancing in his eyes, and lips quirked in an odd sneer of anticipation...

No, she hadn't expected this and that had sent a cold dripping fear down her rigid spine. She was now hurriedly rummaging through the contents of her bag (although the file sat perfectly at one side of her leather Prada bag), berating herself loudly for being so forgetful and wasting 'poor Carlisle's' time.

"This glass..." Carlisle said suddenly and Lorraine jumped, throwing the bag up-every single one of its contents taking off into the air with the motion, including the file-and she sat back down in flurry, clutching her left breast and breathing hard.

"Oh" Carlisle smiled, tilting his head to one side "Did I frighten you, Lorraine?"
"Not the slightest... bit..." she gasped "I mean... I just realised the file was in my bag all along"

"You really should invest in a smaller bag" Carlisle's tone suggested he was smiling but she didn't dare look at him, shooing the guard from helping her pick up her things before scampering on her hands and knees over the floor as she collected her belonging. "I am sorry..."

"Oh, don't be" Lorraine breathed, rising from the floor unceremoniously and tossing the file on the table. She forced herself to look at Carlisle and smiled a tiny slightly embarrassed smile. His eyes were impossibly dark and yet they pulsed ominously; his hair hung over those eyes and caused a menacing shadow to fall over his glorious face. "You really should utilise the comb you received in your toiletries"

He remained silent.

He had to be the most gorgeous devil, the most seductive demon. He managed a slight quirk of his lips (a gesture Lorraine took to be filled with corruption too, although it may have been a modest smile) before Lorraine looked away, his palm still plastered to the glass and eyes intent on her face. She knew if that glass was not there, if the snipers were not positioned and ready and the collar removed from his neck...

He would have rushed towards her, grabbed her and raised her of the ground before latching onto her neck and taking the longest drink of his life...

Or simply snapped my neck and tossed me to the side, Lorraine laughed hysterically in her mind. After all, this was the incredible Carlisle Cullen with the incredible control... although in the files and documents she had read there had been nothing about him having such sinister eyes and a hypnotic gaze. Maybe she had imagined this...

She glanced at him; he wasn't by the glass any longer. She looked about the room opposite hers frantically; momentarily convinced he had managed to break free and then sighed in relief when she saw him walking humanly slow towards her from his table opposite the unused bed. He was holding a blue small toothed comb and smiling, shaking his head so that lush silvery gold hair swished above his eyes.

"I tend to comb my hair with my fingers" he laughed high and loud and Lorraine felt herself clench her jaw at the pain of the volume "It was a human gesture I did... when nervous. No, I think what I actually used to do was this..."

He raised his left hand and reached behind his head and began twirling the hair right by the nape of his neck, sure to angle his head for Lorraine to see what it was he meant. He seemed momentarily harmless, his eyes wide but that unhinged look still dancing in their darkness and his mouth set in something halfway between a smile and a grimace of sorrow.

"The hair combing with my fingers came later when my father said it made me seem... weak" he didn't frown when he said this, nor did he stop twirling the hair in his fingers. He closed his eyes and continued this way for two minutes before Lorraine cleared her throat.

"Carlisle?" she called and he let out a content 'hmm', still not opening his eyes or halting the hair twirling "Carlisle... what would happen to your... is it Grandson... if he were injected with venom?"

"He died when that happened" Carlisle answered "When Tanya... fed on him and increased the venom in him. Hmm, I wonder how Tanya is...?"

"Tanya..." Lorraine frowned at the unknown name that had never come up in any records. "Carlisle, please focus"

"Vampires can focus on numerous things at a time" Carlisle said "But they can also be very easily distracted by the very same number of things! Fascinating, isn't it..."

"Yes it is" Lorraine sighed, worn out. The previous day, Carlisle had refused to talk, react or move-standing like a sentinel by his bed and today... he was all chatty. She wondered what will be in store tomorrow and when exactly was it that she could 'tame' him and having him helping her scientists. She was saving the nano-collar for later; still trying to give him the 'humanity' he so desperately wanted...

That she hoped he still wanted but that darkness on his face suggested otherwise at times.

"For instance" he was right by the glass, in the same place he had initially been with his hand pressed against the glass. She started terribly, paling and eyes wide and fearful "I can only focus on you... sweet Lorraine"

"M...m-m-me?" she stammered, forcing a shaky smile and clasping her trembling hands in front of her. She kept chanting that he could do nothing to her, and that his humanness may cause the animal part of him to be more fearsome (she would have rather Carlisle behaved like a normal vampire than this awkward human waltz he insisted on dancing) "Heavens, why would you focus on little old me... with the way I am so fat and unattractive..."

"Oh, yes... you are nothing like my Esme; both in her human life and eternity" he nodded his head in agreement and Lorraine scowled "But I can't seem to focus on anything other than you"

"Maybe it's because I am your only visitor?" Lorraine regained her composure through Carlisle's wayward remark.

"No, sweet clever Lorraine..." Carlisle smiled and this time Lorraine was given no doubts on whether there were sinister thoughts brewing in the angelic vampire "I don't need any other visitors... what I need is Aro's ashes in a lovely velvet bag"

She paled.

"Err, we are working on that Carlisle" she breathed after a moment, her eyed darting to the file. She picked it up and thumbed through it silently, aware that Carlisle had resumed his unblinking staring of her but she adamantly read the file.

"What is in the file?" he asked. She had him were she needed him, finally. Curious and reminded of his rage... although now, she realised he had never forgotten the rage but had simply handled it in a different way. He was a vampire after all... he didn't forget anything that happened in his vampirism...

It was her, Lorraine who had forgotten that none of the Cullen's behaved as normal vampires and that she couldn't use what she had learnt in her years of dissecting and burning them up, to manipulate them to the purpose of The Company.

"It is a file on Isabella Swan, the only link we have to Volterra..." she looked up at him and said softly, locking their gazes-his severe dark eyes to her human ones "Our only link to Aro, Carlisle"

"Aro" he hissed, lips twisting and eyes blazing, his palm retreating to a fist against the glass.

"We have reasons to believe she was... intimate with Aro" Lorraine said seriously "As well as Joham"

"Power corrupts" Carlisle whispered, closing his eyes "It was never enough... we were in the end, not enough for poor Isabella. Our Edward... not enough for her..."

"And Renesme?" Lorraine asked "Was she not enough for Isabella in the end?"
"Renesme was her precious" Carlisle sighed. "Precious Nessie..."

"Nessie, hmm" Lorraine hid her disgust at the endearment.

"I need your help with her, Carlisle" Lorraine said "We need to know what it is that is brewing in Italy... what it is that Aro is planning to unleash on the world. No more of your family needs to be affected by this, let us exact your vengeance?"

"Hmm" his eyes narrowed but he said nothing further. It made her uneasy.

"Carlisle, you honestly can't believe you can take on Volterra as you are?" Lorraine smiled "Let us help you?"
He closed his eyes in response.

"All we need is a bit of information from Isabella... without damaging her" Lorraine looked away as she said this, reminded of her brief visit to Isabella's cell and how she had to put up with the vampires cackling and insults, mingled with begging for blood. She didn't want to think about how neither Edward nor Carlisle had begged for blood as yet...

They were all monsters in the end, she chanted. There were no such things as 'atoning monsters'. She wouldn't, couldn't believe in such a thing...

"Why do you think I could help you with that? I am no telepath and as you well know, Isabella has a mental shield" Carlisle droned, bored with this bit of information and request.

"I was thinking that you could assist my Nanotechnology Professor with your knowledge in vampire neuropsychology?"

Carlisle closed his eyes and said in one breath "Of course" he touched the light metal collar on his neck "I was wondering what would happen if I tried to remove this"

"Curiosity killed the cat" Lorraine said smiling.

"Exactly what I thought!" Carlisle smiled almost warmly "And I saw no need to disrupt such resourceful work for want of curiosity. So how does it work? If I tempered with it, I would receive a nasty shock of nanites?"

"Or if I pressed a little button on a remote" Lorraine smiled back. "Clever these professors, aren't they?"
"Very" Carlisle agreed, nodding his head.

"But all of them seem to struggle with vampire neurology!" Lorraine sighed "Absurdness! Between all those PhD's and other fancy degrees and certificates... every time they delve into the minds of sentient beings, they leave them brain dead or crazed!"

"Interesting..." Carlisle had not stopped smiling, his eyes on Lorraine's face. She felt like he was reading her, seeing right through her act but she had to charge on regardless of her suspicions.

"Why o you think that is?"
"Hmm, I have this theory..." Carlisle said "The human mind remains as it is even after the venom has coated every tissue"
"Impossible, I have proof!"
"Sure, the brain is more durable and any nerve injuries fixed and the such" Carlisle closed his eyes "But it is the same structure. The venom heightens and explodes everything about a being physically, emotionally..."

"And mentally" Lorraine said, rethinking The Companies unified conformity that Carlisle was the vampire to have, to decipher all other vampires. "As well as talents and such...?"

"Humans use but a percentage of their minds... the venom, it causes vampires to use every single compartment of the brain" Carlisle said softly "But it is one of many theories. The notion of a whole new brain being created is a little... absurd. If a human were infected with venom and they had no limb to begin with... best believe that they would awake a limbless vampire after the venom's inferno"

He took in a steady breath, as another wayward thought he had had recurrently since interacting with the wolves of the Quileute, popped into his mind. The shape shifters were the only beings Carlisle thought capable of healing virtually any wound. After all, when Jacob's mind and heart had broken... they found a way of healing itself.

In him, he knew the fissures and blistering pain was permanent. When he had Aro's ashes stored in a little bag and flung in the ocean... he would let the degeneration take him over until he was no more. Or, more possibly, he would find the highest volcano and let it swallow him whole...

"Hmm, interesting" Lorraine looked genuinely impressed "You have dealt with genetics for far too long. Your understanding of vampire neuropathy may be limited?"
"It is limited" Carlisle agreed "But my son..."
"His vision is not nearly as clear as yours on this" Lorraine said quickly "And we wonder were his loyalties would lie when dealing with his wife?"
"His ex wife" Carlisle clarified.

"And mother of his child?" Lorraine smiled "I am sure in your little vampire pseudo human world, that means something? He didn't react particularly well when I offered to fatten his grandson with a bit of venom were as you... you tell me he may die, again, but your concern over the matter is limited-what's a little death when one is somewhat immortal, eh? You see... you are focused on your goal. That is what I need..."

"And I need Edward on this" Carlisle breathed, closing his eyes "It would save months of trying to construct the right device to fling Bella's shield off! Not to mention creating software to read her wavelengths so we can know when we have succeeded!?"

"Edward is a walking, breathing..." Carlisle began, ignoring Lorraine's croak of disagreement on 'breathing'... "already functioning Neuropsycho-analyzer. He not only hears thoughts, he feels the thoughts and sees them. There are very few beings who can withstand him... and he tends to not push his gift to its limit. I mean, if he really wanted to with the right amount of energy... he may be able to bypass all manner of shields?"

"Then it is Edward we should be dissecting?"
"No!" Carlisle roared and Lorraine shied away from the volume of his voice. "I mean..." he smiled apologetically, trying a calmer and softer "No. You want the contents of Isabella's mind... not those of Edward's, after all"

"Yes..." Lorraine agreed "That is what we need... first most. But once again, I worry that your son has other worries... outside of helping The Company. He may cost you, Carlisle. He may cost you Aro, if he is unwilling to help us"

"He will help... his loyalty will always be where I stand!" Carlisle insisted, already flinging thought after thought on what he could do or say to Edward to justify their tampering with the mind of one of their own, with a mind of a member of their family (he thought of Esme and how at times she would insist that Isabella would still be a daughter to her), with the mind of the mother of Renesme... the grandmother of Charles... the mind of Jacob's first love and friend.

He didn't particularly care for these facts although they spun in his head; he simply knew Edward would care for them. What he wanted, was Aro... and the bloodlust in him for that kept him functioning and alert to Lorraine's little games...

Oh, how clever she thought she was. Carlisle allowed her this; silly human child-he had lived close to four centuries and dealt with the vilest of vampires. This was new; he admitted... who would have ever thought humans could be a threat? Did he fault them? They had to protect themselves... but unfortunately for them...

They were humans at the end of it all... and he was resolute with his acceptance of being a demon and a devil, heaven be damned!

"Hmm, you seem certain enough" Lorraine smiled and Carlisle relaxed. "About your grandson? He will die if I give him venom... and awaken...?"
"Weak" Carlisle said "Exponentially weak"

"Edward's exact words" Lorraine whispered.

"You won't do it?" Carlisle asked "You see, there is no point... venom is the boy's kryptonite"

"He is a man, not a boy" Lorraine sighed, smiling in satisfaction "And I think I would like to see for myself. Unlike you, Carlisle... I don't let curiosity kill me. I would like to see how a werewolf hybrid relates to others of his kind, if your throw a vampire in the mix..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there is a full moon soon and I am going to throw your grandson in a pen full of werewolves... and then add a starved vampire too" Lorraine clapped her hands "Exciting, isn't it? Why go the conventional 'venom in syringe' route when we can play gladiator?"

"Why indeed..." Carlisle said grimly "This is more... humane, after all"

"No, Carlisle..." Lorraine leaned forward abruptly "This is more vampiric!"

Authors note:

Embry has not been forgotten... I just think with him having 'Black' blood in him, it has to be something along the epic lines like with Charles and Jacob.

A few things to think about;

could humans truly be this organised and well funded against the supernatural without some 'help'?

Let's not forget how it is the Quileute arrived to their shape shifter phasing into a wolf gift (refer to They Set out to Kill Fate, chapter; Legendary Family Secrets... if you have time and patience)

The title of this story is 'They Set out to Fight Love' so as we near the end of the second sequel and approach the third (which I may just let run through in this story and not create a third story...), let us brace ourselves for the unexpected or long overdue... in some pairings cases.

Remember to review! More especially now, to all ye ghost readers... I will do responses in the next chapter update to all questions. I know I can leave those for later or...err, very badly at times, not at all. (hides in shame).

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TJ